2.0 Responsibilities
Revised February, 2021
2.1 Chairs and Directors
Chairs and directors are responsible for ensuring that workplace supervisors are aware of the responsibilities and procedures contained in this document, and for providing administrative enforcement of this program.
2.2 Supervisors
Supervisors are responsible for ensuring implementation of this program in work areas for which they are responsible. Specific responsibilities include:
- Identifying hazardous substances present in the work area.
- Ensuring that an inventory of hazardous chemicals present in work areas is maintained and available to personnel who work in the area. NOTE: EH&S maintains an inventory of many campus workplaces. See section 4.2 for more information on the University chemical inventory program.
- Ensuring hazardous substances are appropriately labeled.
- Ensuring SDSs are available to employees and that employees know how to access SDSs.
- Developing safe handling procedures for hazardous chemicals that are present in work areas for which they are responsible.
- Ensuring employees receive workplace specific training on physical and health hazards, emergency procedures, and safe handling procedures for hazardous chemicals used in work areas.
- Informing visiting personnel of hazardous chemicals to which they may be exposed to in the work area, and any applicable safe work practices.
- Ensuring that all individuals under his or her supervision follow the procedures specified in this document, and established workplace procedures for safe handling of hazardous chemicals.
2.3 Employees
Employees are responsible for conducting work as described in this document, with specific responsibilities to include:
- Knowing the hazards of the hazardous chemicals that they use, and following established safe work practices.
- Properly labeling chemical containers in their workplaces, as described in this document.
- Attending required training.
- Planning and conducting operations in accordance with established procedures and good safety practices.
- Using personal protective equipment in accordance with prescribed training and established procedures for safe handling of hazardous chemicals
- Knowing how to access SDSs.
2.4 Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) Department
EH&S is responsible for providing resources (i.e. reference materials) and technical support to assist supervisors and employees in meeting the requirements of this written program. Specific responsibilities include:
- Developing and maintaining the University Written Hazard Communication Program.
- Assisting supervisors in identifying hazardous chemicals present in their work areas and in evaluating hazard chemicals and operations, as requested.
- Providing general Hazard Communication training. Some administrative groups may choose to present this training themselves; however, such training must be coordinated with EH&S.
- Assisting supervisors with development of workplace specific employee training, as requested.
- Evaluating hazardous chemical use and recommending appropriate engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment to reduce associated risks, as requested.
- Making SDSs received with incoming chemicals available to all employees through an online database.
- Maintaining an inventory of hazardous chemicals located on the University campus and an online database of the chemical inventory data. Some workplaces are responsible for maintaining a current inventory of hazardous chemicals that they store, and providing this data to EH&S, but EH&S is responsible for making this information available on the online database.
2.5 Facilities Maintenance Department
In addition to the general responsibilities described in this program, the Facilities Maintenance Department is responsible for the following:
- Providing Hazard Communication training to its employees, and forwarding records of such training to EH&S.
- Collecting chemical inventory information for shops and other work areas where it stores chemicals, and providing this information to EH&S as specified in section 4.4 of this document.